Season 17 - Wayward Winston

Pros:

-Mention Of Track Maintanence

-Classic SFX

-Percy's Mention Of Needing A Driver

-Mash Of 'Old Iron' 'The Runaway' And 'Busy Going Backwards'

Cons:

-Gordon's Speed

-American crossing sounds on a British crossing

Here is episode 3! How did it fare? I actually quite liked it. It seemed to be a mash of 'old iron' (blue engine chasing a red engine) 'the runaway' (Winston rolling off on his own) and 'busy going backwards' (the near misses at the end), all classic runaway episodes.

I also liked the mention of track maintenance. It brings more railway realism to the Island of Sodor. Percy also mentions needing a driver (unlike seasons 9-16), which is also good. If I rewrite the episodes of season 17, I would probably add a 'Thomas comes to breakfast' reference somewhere in there.

Another great thing about this episode is that it uses a classic sound effect when Winston runs out of fuel. This is a welcome addition to the episode, as it shows that the new head writer (Andrew Brenner) is bringing back some of the older things. Others include Gordon, Henry and James (Scruff's makeover) and the engine's personalities are being reverted back.

I have 2 complaints about this episode, however. Firstly, Gordon's speed whilst pulling the express. It also happened in the previous episode. It happens at the end and when Gordon teases Winston. My other complaint is the American crossing sound on a British railway crossing.

Overall, I quite liked this episode. It has both it's good and bad points, but for the most part, it has a well written storyline, which is the main thing to look for in an episode.

4.5/5